Lost in the shuffle of the Bulls’ refusal to practice on Sunday and the backlash it caused in-house the past 48 hours was the return of the team’s two most energetic and vocal leaders.
Kris Dunn and Bobby Portis both suffered sprained MCLs two days apart from each other – Dunn on Oct. 23 and Portis on Oct. 25 – so it wasn’t all that surprising that the two returned on the same night in Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings.
Both players were expected, Jim Boylen said before the game, to play between 20 and 24 minutes in their first game back. Portis finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds in 19 minutes, while Dunn went for 9 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
“They each showed a little spurt of what they bring for us and I’m very excited about that,” Boylen said.
Both players showed some obvious rust, with Dunn missing badly on his first 3-point attempt and committing four fouls. Portis was his usual active self but admitted he felt some fatigue in the second half; he played 9 minutes and missed all five of his attempts after halftime.
But given the bad luck the Bulls have had on the injury front this season both players were happy to come out of Monday’s game feeling good.
“I felt good,” Portis said. “I got tired a little bit in the second half. Some of my shots were short in the second half that I usually make. Just to be able to still play the game knowing I had a serious injury, being able to get back out there and play with my teammates, that’s what I cherish most.”
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Added Dunn: “Little bit rusty but the conditioning is improving. The first half I felt good and then the second half I got a little winded but I’m gonna take care of that.”
Dunn eventually will supplant Ryan Arcidiacono in the starting lineup, while Portis will provide some much needed scoring on the second unit. With the Bulls having their entire roster healthy – minus Denzel Valentine – the belief is they’ll begin trending in the right direction that will hopefully lead to more competitive games; the Bulls have lost their last two home games by 75 points and now hit the road for three straight games.
But more than how it will shake up the roster, the energy and competitive spirit that Boylen has been hammering home in his first week on the job will improve with Portis and Dunn leading the way. Neither needed to shake off any rust in that department Monday night, and LaVine said there was a different feel with those two on the floor that will maintain going forward.
“Felt great to have them out there,” he said. “They’re some of the dogs on the team. They go out there, they cause havoc. It’s good to see them.
“They’re some of the better players on the team. I think they’re definitely going to help.”